bet365 lotto review - Lottorate compare world lotteries

Players choose between 1 and 5 numbers on one of the lotteries they cover. You can choose either 'straight' bets (all numbers chosen must come in) or 'combination' bets where, similar to a lottery ticket, you get paid out different amounts depending on how many numbers you match. On combination bets you are effectively placing multiple bets, e.g. if you choose 3 numbers and the combination option, you would place 7 bets in total (and you can also vary the stakes on these). You have 3 single bets for each of the numbers you chose, plus 3 double bets for the three combinations of the three numbers that can come in as doubles plus 1 treble bet if all three are drawn. Sounds a bit complicated but it is in fact quite simple. A straight bet is one where all the numbers you choose have to come in to win anything whilst a combination bet allows you to win on any of your numbers, however many are drawn.

There are a few restrictions on lotto betting at bet365: first, you cannot choose 6 numbers and get the multimillion payouts. You can though bet more than £1, €1 or $1 etc on your chosen numbers - this is similar to buying several tickets. That said, there are restrictions too on how much you can bet per selection. If you choose three numbers, your maximum stake is around £50. If you choose five numbers you can only bet a maximum of £1 or €1. The odds are capped at around 250,000/1 and payouts around £250,000.

Ticket 'prices' are a bit different on the bet365 lotto product as you can bet any amount up to their maximums, which will vary according to how many numbers you choose. Overall, the margins on lotto betting at bet365 are very good. Some sample 'bets' and returns:

Choose 1 number on the Spanish La Primitiva Lottery for £1 (straight bet) and if any of the 6 numbers drawn is your number, win £7 including your £1 stake.
Choose 5 lines on the same lottery (straight bet) for £1 and win £150,001.

Margins on lottery betting at bet365 are better for players than at many lotto agents. For example, a typical lotto is usually run at around 50% margin (i.e. only 50% of ticket sales is returned to players as prizes). On lotto bets at bet365 the return to player number is around 75%. Unlike some lotto bets or tickets though, the margin doesn't vary with jackpot sizes as there are no jackpots available on lotto betting here. The nearest you get is the pick five number option where, for a £1 stake, if they are all drawn you would receive a payout of around £150,000 to £250,000, depending on the lottery you are betting on.

Bet365 are one of the best gaming companies in terms of the sign up offer they make to new players. They have a deposit bonus offer of deposit £200 and get £200 free (or £20 for £20 etc.). The usual 'play through' your bonus restrictions are a bit simpler than many betting companies - you need to make bets 3x the value of your bonus amount to turn it into cash. All in all, it's a good offer and you need to include the value of this sign up offer into what are already good payout rates for their lotto products.

Bet365 are usually rated number 1 or 2 of all European bookmakers, depending on whose ratings and what measure you are looking at. The have a massive market share of sports betting in particular, not least because they operate on the basis of low margin/high volume and so players and punters generally get very good value. From a trust perspective, they are up there with the traditional bookmakers like William Hill and Ladbrokes and if your money is safe anywhere it will be here. The UK Gaming Commission licence in particular is something that is difficult to obtain and demonstrates a commitment to fairness and to protecting players and their funds. There aren't any issues with jackpot payouts at bet365 as their maximum payouts are around £250,000 (which is also why you can only choose 5 and not 6 balls on most lotteries). The trustpilot ranking is a bit of an anomaly, though feel free to read some of the customer reviews here. At lottorate.com we believe that, whilst their customer service or communications may on occasions be less than satisfactory, the trust factor for this company should be very high.

The Bet365 lotto product isn't a 'normal' lotto product in the traditional sense but bet365 do offer some lotto bet types that are better value than many lottery or lotto companies, i.e. good RTP or return to player. Shame there are no big payouts or jackpots and they only offer bets on a handful of lotteries too. Trustwise, they are up there with the best though so a welcome addition to the lotto world and a different way of playing the lotto. If you're not a jackpot hunter and a mere £250k or so will do, sign up and take the good sign up bonuses!